Deposition and watershed processing of mercury in the Lake Champlain basin
- Univ. of Vermont, Burlington, VT (United States)
- Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)
Daily wet-only precipitation, weekly 24-hour vapor and particulate matter, snowmelt and stream water have been analyzed for total mercury (Hg) in Underhill, VT since December, 1992. Total Hg in precipitation ranged from 1.2-35 ng/L, with maximum concentrations occurring during summer. Vapor phase Hg ranged from 1.2 to 4.2 ng/m, with little annual variability, and particulate phase Hg ranged from 1 to 43 pg/m{sup 3}, with maximum concentrations in winter. Wet-only deposition of total Hg in precipitation totaled 9.26 {mu}g/m{sup 2} in 1993 and 7.66 {mu}g/m{sup 2} in 1994. Total Hg concentrations in a stream in our research watershed were 1-3 ng/L during base flow, and reached 79 ng/L at peak flow during spring snowmelt. Dissolved Hg concentrations were approximately 2 ng/L, even during peak flows, suggesting suspended Hg-containing sediments caused the high total Hg during peak flows. Synoptic sampling of larger streams in the drainage basin also showed significant Hg enrichment during snowmelt. Limited snowpack melt measurements indicated that Hg concentration and dissolved proportion in melt water were dynamic, varying with temperature and melting rate.
- OSTI ID:
- 214853
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-950801-; TRN: 96:000922-0330
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 210. national meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS), Chicago, IL (United States), 20-25 Aug 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of 210th ACS national meeting. Part 1 and 2; PB: 1866 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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